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sandialabs / pyNuMAD

pynumad is an object-oriented, open-source software program written in Python which simplifies the process of creating a three-dimensional model of a wind turbine blade.
https://sandialabs.github.io/pyNuMAD/
BSD 3-Clause "New" or "Revised" License
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Definition of Airfoil Types #32

Open James-Ilosta opened 11 months ago

James-Ilosta commented 11 months ago

I was having a look at how the airfoil types are defined. The function getprofileTEtype has three possible outputs:

  1. Flat
  2. Sharp
  3. Round

This function seems to be quite dependent on the correct input format as the points must start at the TE on the HP side and move around the airfoil from HP to LP, finishing at the TE again on the LP side and then back to the original starting point. I believe it also requires that if the AF is a flatback, it starts with a node placed between the HP side and LP side and that this is the starting node (also finishing at that node). Which if I'm correct makes the function quite sensitive to having the correct coordinate inputs and that even if an airfoil has a large separation between the LP and HP at the TE, but no middle node, then it wouldn't be considered a flatback

Additionally, I noticed that when finding the first aerofoil that requires adhesive for creating a shell mesh with adhesive, the criteria for this is that the angle between the TE on the HP side and the TE on the LP size is less than 45 degrees. Would I be correct in thinking that this is similarly a method for defining whether an airfoil is flatback or sharp?

My main questions are really how I can ensure that the coordinates of any airfoil I use are correctly formatted and are there criteria for defining whether an airfoil is a flatback?

kbonney commented 11 months ago

@ecamare, can you provide input here? This is something that would be good to clarify in our docs.